The present invention relates to fluid pressure actuated force pistons having an extended range of travel. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,789,738; 3,887,042; 3,915,063; 3,995,721 and 4,006,669, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention for generally similar type piston and extensible cylinder apparatus wherein the present invention is an improvement thereover.
Prior art arrangements which extend the axial travel of aircraft brake piston assemblies and thereby reduce the piston cavity depth, have been somewhat complicated and consist of a number of small parts that pose problems in installation. The current development of aircraft brake assemblies utilizing carbon friction material indicate that pistons with longer axial travel will be necessary in order to utilize the full range of the frictional material. It is not desirable to make longer axial length pistons because this substantially increases the weight and depth of the piston cavity. Increasing the cavity depth has practical problems due to the wheel designs such that they will become more susceptible to external damage. Also, some prior art designs also affect the brake pressure "feel" to the aircraft pilot by either requiring more fluid or increasing the piston work force area.